Hm, I seem to have forgotten my old username/password combo... no matter!

Eager to explore the Three Kingdoms era in a highly developed roleplay and mechanics-based sim? Look no further! Way of the Dragon has been in development for well over a year now, and the game begins THIS WEEKEND! Learn more below; my username is Angelo on the website, and we would love to have you on board!

Way of the DragonAn empire long united must divide; an empire long divided must unite.The Han Dynasty rose from the ashes of the Qin, just as the Qin supplanted the Zhou; Liu Bang's conquests proved his right to rule China, so his descendants sat upon the Dragon Throne for four hundred years. Now, the Imperial house falters under the weight of centuries and the once-glorious Empire is on the verge of collapse. Weakling Emperors and corrupt courtiers have destroyed the authority of the Dynasty, leaving provincial governors on their own - the empire, long united, must divide. Ambitious ministers become ruthless warlords, spilled blood replaces copper as the currency of the realm, and peasants across the empire trade their plows for spears: a century of civil war, known to history as the Three Kingdoms era, is about to begin.

Take on the role of a remarkable man or woman of your own invention in the failing days of the Han and carve yourself a path to prominence. Many paths are open to you: conquer territory in your own name as an independent warlord; serve a lord as a general or minister; struggle to uphold the house of Han; found your own Dynasty to last the centuries; cultivate your family to secure an enduring legacy of wealth and influence beyond the petty struggles of upstarts; achieve fame as a craftsman nonpareil. Whatever path you choose, there is ample opportunity for honor and victory.

VoShay, Mordred, and the rest of the Way of the Dragon staff invite you to become part of our world of turmoil and intrigue. This latest and greatest edition of our game has been polished and refined over the course of more than a year of development and six months of beta testing. We are confident in saying that, of the ten iterations of this grand strategy game that we have presented since our founding in 2004, this will be the most balanced, accessible, and entertaining one yet.

Way of the Dragon (WotD) is a forum-based game most easily described as an unholy hybrid of tabletop RPGs and turn-based strategy games.

Ambitious players who want to get into the conquest game can found teams called factions. Factions compete directly for military control of China, with the last faction standing becoming the new ruling Dynasty in the Middle Kingdom. Factions win or lose based on a team effort; a ruling player can run the show himself for a time, but without generals and ministers to help him, he will be at a disadvantage compared to his rivals.

In addition to whatever role you play in a faction (or lack thereof), you as a player can develop your clan's wealth, craft items, raise troops, recruit loyal retainers into your personal service, and even dominate society across swathes of the map. A well-managed clan can be as wealthy as any warlord's faction, and a well-armed clan can become a faction unto itself!

Building an army and marching it to war is simple and intuitive, but the combat system is deep; battles are full of real strategic choices and trade-offs. WotD's battle rules take only a few hours to learn, but months to master! Battles are often run live on IRC between two opposing players, creating a charged, tense atmosphere where thinking on your feet wins the day and one misstep can end an empire. It's like chess, but with volleys of flaming crossbow bolts.

Generals are only half of the equation in battles - duelists also play a vital role; a competent duelist can mean the difference between victory and defeat in any battle. WotD's dueling system is no less deep than the battle system, rewarding careful thought and tactical play. With six schools of combat and over 50 gambits, WotD's duels are sure to engage the strategic-minded lover of foe-cleaving.

If you're not into fighting, you can instead become a brilliant minister whose contributions swell your faction's coffers, a craftsman of excellent skill whose works are sought after by the high and mighty across the Empire, or a stealthy agent who destroys his lord's enemies (... or his own...) in secrecy and silence.

Whatever path you choose, your choices have the potential to rewrite history.

Besides the mechanics, WotD seeks to provide a rich backdrop for players to interact in-character through roleplay. We make it a point to run regular Quests and other major events, and even bring staff on board specifically for that purpose.

Our staff puts forth a great effort to keep the game running smoothly and predictably - each game turn is scheduled to last two weeks, and we have six years of experience in sticking to deadlines behind us. Like the Post Office, we deliver - regardless of rain, sleet, or dark of night.

Wasn't really sure whether to post it here or in the DW training or 3k discussion subforum Here's something I wanted to recommend for the 3k fans for a long time. It's not mine of course. Keep in mind 2 things though: a pretty strong language is used occasionally, so if it offends you...then simply don't read. Secondly, the author seems to favour Wei. This is definitely alright with me as a fellow Weiist but it might make some fans of Shu unhappy.

Angelo wrote:Hm, I seem to have forgotten my old username/password combo... no matter!

Eager to explore the Three Kingdoms era in a highly developed roleplay and mechanics-based sim? Look no further! Way of the Dragon has been in development for well over a year now, and the game begins THIS WEEKEND! Learn more below; my username is Angelo on the website, and we would love to have you on board!